Located in the Moddell sector and the remote Endor system, Endor is a silvery gas giant orbited by nine moons. Its largest moon is the size of a small planet, and is variously known as the Forest Moon, the Sanctuary Moon, or often simply as Endor. The Endor system is very difficult to reach, since the uncharted territory and massive gravitational shadow of the gas giant require several complicated hyperspace jumps. Therefore, over the years many star travelers have crashed and become stranded on the habitable Forest Moon of Endor. Endor is a temperate moon of forests, savannas, and mountains, with a relatively light gravity. The world's low axial tilt and the regular orbit of its gas giant primary helps ensure a comfortable climate suitable for its many native lifeforms, including the Endorian pony, the Endoran vethiraptor, boar- wolves, glowing sprites called Wisties, fast mischievous teeks, winged condor dragons, gunlabirds, predatory Yootaks, and stump-dwelling tempters that lure prey with their camouflaged, articulated tongues. The most common sentient species on Endor are the primitive, furry Ewoks, who make their communal dwellings high in the trees. Called "lifetrees" by the Ewoks, the trees can reach heights of 1000 meters and are considered the spiritual guardians of the Ewok species. Music plays an important role in Ewok culture, which is made up of a rigid clan system. Ewoks are skilled engineers (among their inventions are gliders and catapults), and each tribe has a shaman who interprets mystical signs. A natural enemy of the Ewoks are the 30-meter high humanoid creatures called Gorax, who search the trees for Ewok dwellings low enough to grab. Gorax inhabit the rocky highlands of the barren Desert of Salma, which lies beyond the Yawari Cliffs north of the dense forest. The Desert is also marked by acid pools and dry lakes, and large rearing spiders are known to live in the bottoms of the Gorax caves. West of the forest are vast grassland plains known as the Dragon's Pelt, which are dotted with jutting lava rocks. In the distance lies a range of snow-capped mountains called the Dragon's Spine. Stilt-legged yuzzums inhabit the savanna, hunting small rodents called ruggers. A colony of off-planet alien marauders have built a stone castle on the Dragon's Pelt, and use the two-legged, slow-witted blurrgs as beasts of burden for their raids into the forest to attack Ewok villages. Almost a century ago, the humanoid marauders crash-landed on Endor with the Dathomirian Nightsister Charal. Following the orders of their leader Terak, the long-lived aliens built a castle and searched for a power source to repair their disabled starship. Much later, a starship belonging to the Towani family crashed on the forest moon. A giant Gorax captured both parents and imprisoned them in his mountain fortress in the Desert of Salma. Mace and Cindel (the Towani children) managed to rescue their parents from the Gorax with the help of Wicket the Ewok and the other members of his tribe. Later, the marauders, led by Terak and Charal, killed the entire Towani family except for Cindel. With the help of the Ewoks and the stranded human Noa, the marauders were eventually defeated and Cindel and Noa were able to leave the forest moon. Soon after, the Empire selected Endor as the construction site for the second Death Star, and established an Imperial base on the surface to generate a protective shield for the orbiting battle station. A Rebel strike force, including Han Solo and Leia Organa, was able to destroy the shield generator with the help of Wicket's Ewok tribe. The Death Star and much of the Imperial fleet were subsequently destroyed in what is now known as the Battle of Endor. A cloud of Darkside energy (a residual effect of the Emperor's first death) is now located in Endor's orbit at the site of this destruction.